London-based synth-punk band KILL, THE ICON! have unleashed their new punk single “And Now, The Weather!”.
The track is out now and follows their debut EP ‘Your Anger Is Rational‘, released in June via Blaggers Records. Get it here.
“And Now, The Weather!” showcases the band’s typically caustic commentary on the public reaction to ongoing climate protests. It pokes fun at Chelsea Tractors and our obsession with air conditioning, which Joshi describes as “part of society’s selfish attitude towards social justice: our relative sacrifices are conditional upon our own comfort.”
Musically, the track centres around the band’s classic proto-punk style, with stabs of energetic synth and nods to dance-punk forebears such as The Rapture. The lyrics encapsulate why the band feel an urgent need to protest:
It affects me that it doesn’t offend you!
It offends me that it doesn’t affect you!
Joshi says:
“Climate change has been contorted into a polarizing social issue by media commentators who are seeking to foment division. And regrettably, a slice of the public have lapped it up, meaning that politicians start to become wary about meaningful policy change, and any climate action invariably gets delayed. It’s a well-trodden path in politics, and it ultimately means that the status quo is reinforced by those who benefit from it. It feels like the right-wing media serves us two options: that either climate change is a hoax, or that it is too difficult to fix, so we shouldn’t bother at all.”
The cultural significance and personal sacrifice involved in these protests is particularly relevant to Joshi, who was given a special honour by The FA for his activism during the pandemic, as well as having been involved in organizing the BLM protests which gained international recognition in 2020.
“If protest is the language of the disenfranchised, then it’s our band’s duty to be as loud as possible,” says Joshi.
Take a listen below.
